The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-05-18
The EPISCOPAL CONVENTION
THE BISHOP GIVES oFFENSE TO A MA
JORITY OF THE LAY DELEGATES,
AND THEY WITHDRAW.

Different Rule of Action GOferneti
His Own Treatment to II Majority
of the Lay Delegates.
In order that we give our readers Il fair Idea
of the troubles in the Episcopal Convention
we herewith give much in reference thereto
The following, except the headings, is as II
appeard in the Ncns and Courier:
Extract from the Bishops Address.
Not having room for the entire paper, VIC
are enable to copy only so much of it as re.
lates TO the negro:
THE WAY THE BISHOP ENGINEERED a Ne
GRO INTO THE CHURCH.
In the year 1884, after due inquiry as
thought, and on Recommendation OF persons
who had long known him, and upon whose
Judgment relied. I received ]. s: Quarlcs as
under Canon d, Title /, of the Can,
ons Of the General Convention. A postulnnl
is one who intends to become a canalaate iEl fn
this case did not think that the postulan'
had sufficient preliminary. education TO be'
come Il candidate, and so he entered 81. Au'
maintained himself by his own labor. He did
not expect TO serve In the ministry OF inc
Church except Ms deacon. To go on To the
priesthood would require collegiate ednch
N,
plain English studies, he was prepared to 20
before our standing committee, and ask them
to recommend him to the Bishop as one quail
fled to enter on course OF preparation ior INC
holy ministry. This they did, and IN lS'), IN
with their recommendation, !
admitted Quarles as a candidate for the Office
of deacon only. He returned to Raleigh, and
prepared for the dlaconate under the Key; nr
sutton. the head OF the school. | Will take
this opportunity to say that in his letters 10
me DR.. Sutton spoke favornbly OF Quarles
In September last, 1856, he applied 10 the com
mittee to be recommended by them TO the
Bishop for Deacons orders, and under the
rules of the committee his application was
received and laid ovcrto following meeting
The canon required that in the absence OIL q
vestry to testify to the applicants character
such Testimonial may be signed by "twclve
members OF the Protestant Epis
copal Church." and there being no organized
parish or vestry the papers were accordingly
signed ut my. suggestion by twelve whites
Some of the names so signed were those OF
When the papers came up
the committee ruled that the words "twelvc
respectable members" In the cannon meant
twelve respectable male members. For the
reason thus given by the committee the ap
plicatlon OF the candidate tor Recommended.
ton to the diaconate failed. Accordingly, by
my direction, the candidate prepared a second
set Of papers signed in accordance with tho
construction OF the canon. In
due time the amended paper came before the
81 stauding committee and met refusal. VI TINS
refusal the committee ggve the , B;hop no no IN a.
officially rom the candidate who placed In
his hands the letter of the secretary. This
letter to the candidate bears date January 2S,
1857, and is as follows: "Your application for
,dmisslon to the sacred order OF dcacons was
taken up for consideration at meeting OF the
standing committee of South Carolina, which
was held on the 26th inst. The testimonial OF
required by the canons to be signed
no NIT npccS-
sary number of signatures" Signed, &c.
VERY MUCH OF THE BIG IN THIS
Now could not but ask myself, in view CT
such action, why the committee, who had
previously recommended the candidate and
encouraged him to study for the diaconate.
should now refuse their recommendation to
ordination. Had anything arisen affecting
he candidates character since their former
Of him, whereby admitted
,im to become q candidate? The canons make
{ the duty of Bishop to supervise the con-
luct of his candidates for orders, and re,
,eived regular reports concerning him, and
nothing to his disparagement came to me, bnt
he reverse. The conclusion, therefore, to
which came, in the absence Of any informa-
ion from the committee, was TO the following
effect: That the candidate applying TO our
standing committee for the canonicai recon-
nendatfon to be ordained deacon, had been
refused such recommendation because he was
Of African descent, or because, being OF Afri-
can descent and being ordained, he would ac-
auire by canonical residence and under our
Il seat in our Diocean Conventiou.
/ say this is my inference, not the ground
given by the committee, because they give no
with my rejected candidate? Shall l drop
him9 or shall he give up the ministry? /
could transfer him to the neighboring diocese,
ind have him ordained there, and then re-
ceive him back again, but will not pursue
such course. which would be species of &C.
,lesiastical fiiibustering, and would widen and
deepen already exiting differences. No; If Il
,olored man is to be ordained in and for this
diocese: 1t must be with the concurrence ana it
the meantime what becomes OF the refused
candidate?
THE BISHOP STILL DETERMINED TO FORCE
THE NEGRO WHERE HE WAS NOT WANTED.
l answer, he must serve in another
diocese under another Bishop, who has
work for him to do. But when my brother
Bishop to whose Jurisdiction, transfer the
candidate asks me why Quarles could not be
in the Diocese OF South Carolina,
what must say? What can say but this
committee because Of African descent. Bui
lest something might have arisen which l
knew nothing OF, addressed note to the
president Of our standing committee, asking
anything derosatory to the moral or
religious character OF the candidate had ap-
peared in committee for which they had re-
fused QuarleS's recommendation, and for
which ;also ought to feel restrained from
him to another Jurisdiction. The
answer is quite distinct and emphatic, 1t
says: "There was no objection TO Quarles on
the ground OF character, moral or religious,
nor has anything come to our knowledge
which should prevent you from recommend
Ing him for orders to any other Bishop"
SCRIPTURE QUOTED TO GET HIS NEGRO IN.
In view of these facts thus simply related,
and taken in connection with the burning
question which has agitated tho diocese for So
many years. and Convention after Conven-
ton, and in view also of the conviction eX-
pressed by the protestants in the Diocean Con.
effect that only persons of the white race were
entitled to sit in Diocesan Conrention-in
view l say Of all these things, am constrain-
ell to believe that the candidate here spoken
of failed to secure the approval of our stand
ing committee, because he was coored man.
Now 1t becomes this Convention 70 look this
matter squareiy in the face-sO doing in the
spirit OF meekness and gentleneSS. Is the ac-
tIou OF our standing committee in the instance
of Quarles to become the rule OF action? My
own conclusion Is that 1t gives notice thu no
colored man. be his qualifications what they
may. will he recommended by the standing
committee to holy orders. Is this also the
mind OF the diocese in convention assembled
cannot think it. But If it be, then to your
bishop such a mind seems ont OF harmony
with the new suffrage in the litany: 80,
Lord of the harvest, send forth more laborerS
into Thy harvest
COMPROMISE SUGGESTED.
There is, think, a fair compromise which,
II adopted, might adjust differences. IL was
proposed by n venerable member from st.
Paui's, Radciiileboro', in 2SSi. and unani-
mously adopted by the Ninety-fourth Con-
vention.
He proposed to amend Article III of the
Constitution, SO as TO limit membership In
convention within the ceical order to the
'cIergymen' and Inserting "prcsbyters. :
The effect Of this amendment would bc to re-
move the diaconate altogether from Diocesan
convention, and SO dismiss the apprehension
of q preponderance of the colored element in